18 SBIS Newsletter Winter 2019-20

Newsletter

Snowdrops in Dunwich Woods, February 2020. With grateful thanks to Kirkleyjohn on Flickr >

Winter 2019 / 2020

In this issue: Page No.

SBIS news

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The Pliocene Forest 10 years on

Caroline Markham, GeoSuffolk

Suffolk Golf Course Wins recognition for its Ecology Work

Neil Sherman, Ipswich Golf Course Ltd.

Improving the Riparian Habitat in the River Gipping Catchment

Naomi Boyle, Environment Agency

Suffolk Planning and Biodiversity Group Achievements

Gen Broad, SBIS

Felixstowe Community Nature Reserve: Feeding the Soil Project

Adrian Cooper, FCNR

Local Wildlife Corridors Scheme

Transition Woodbridge

SNS conference - Roadside verges

Suffolk Naturalists’ Society

The Yellow Fish Strikes Again

Jane Herbert, Groundwork East

Suffolk Roadside Nature Reserves Update

Holly Emmens, Suffolk County Council

AONB Network response to wildlife decline and climate crisis

Simon Amstutz, Suffolk AONBs

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Contact and About Us

SBIS

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Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service News SBIS GIS (digital mapping) News Ecological Networking Project The data audit and collection exercise continues and two webinars were attended to help us determine a methodology. The first was given by Natural England (NE) and demonstrated their Habitat Networks Model and National Biodiversity Climate Change Vulnerability Model (NBCCVM): The Habitat Networks Model was created using Safe Software's FME and describes Habitat Networks for, currently, 22 priority habitats based on the Priority Habitat Inventory (PHI v2.1) but with other data, such as suitable soils, used to model habitat creation and potential areas for restoration. The resulting maps identify locations for actions such as Enhancement Zones, Restorable Habitat, Habitat Restoration/ Creation, Fragmentation Action Zones and Potential Network Joins. These have been downloaded and mapped in GIS at SBIS. The NBCCVM was created using NE software. It aims to help with climate change adaptation planning by identifying where to target measures to build biodiversity resilience.

The input datasets included Priority Habitats, land cover classes from the Land Cover Map (to create a landscape matrix of "permeable" semi-natural land reflecting the dispersal characteristics of particular species), Terrain (Digital Elevation Model), Habitat Management and Condition, areas of national or international Conservation Value.

Priority Habitats were assessed for their Intrinsic Sensitivity to Climate Change; Adaptive capacity, including measures of fragmentation, topographic variation, and management and condition; and Conservation Value.

The resulting maps show the range of relative vulnerability to climate change across the landscape. These datasets were also downloaded and mapped at SBIS. The software used will be made available from NE after a further webinar.

The second webinar was given by the University of Liverpool to look at the Condatis tool. This can be used to identify the best locations for habitat creation and restoration to enhance habitat networks and increase ecological connectivity. Examples were shown, including Cheshire and Lancashire, and Sabah in Borneo. The process is based on data of, for example, breeding habitat for particular species. It highlights pathways, similar to those of an electrical circuit, that allow both dispersal and multiplication of species as they cross a landscape, and ranks the feasible sites for habitat creation and restoration.

County Wildlife Sites Suffolk Wildlife Trust are continuing to re-write many CWS citations; over 100 have now been updated in the master database at SBIS. Maintenance of the CWS and RNR GIS datasets continued, but no further major changes were made.

County Farms An analysis of Suffolk County Council farm sites is being carried out, looking at species and sites of biodiversity interest. This aims to help the Council fulfil its Greenest County ambitions and increase biodiversity on these farmland sites.

Supporting Partners

Orchards East work continues with the production of some Parish maps for orchard surveyors and the conversion of Suffolk Traditional Orchard Group (STOG) data to Orchards East format. This conversion is now in the final stages of checking.

GIS biodiversity data updates were made available for download by partners (notified by email) in December from http://www.suffolkbis.org.uk/downloads. Users need to register first by contacting SBIS in order to have access to the relevant download section. Once registered, partners can download either the full update of Species and Sites (in 2 formats: MapInfo TAB or ESRI Shapefile with site citations in Access, Excel or PDF format) or the County Wildlife Site, Roadside Nature Reserve and County GeoSite only update.

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Little Ouse Headwaters Project (LOHP) site boundaries were imported and mapped. This will allow us to search the biodiversity records within these project areas. LOHP is a local Charity dedicated to the restoration, conservation and promotion of enjoyment of the wildlife and landscape of the Little Ouse valley > Commercial Data Enquiries In the last 3 months 96 searches have been carried out, including 11 no-charge cross-boundary searches shared with neighbouring record centres.

Other SBIS News Planners’ Update The bi-annual Planners’ Update was published on 10th February and circulated to around 350 people. This is a bumper issue, which includes articles on the East Anglian Planning and Biodiversity seminar 2019, the Environment Bill, Defra’s natural capital tool, Local site reporting, the Green Infrastructure news, Update on green walls, links between healthy weight in women and green space, training opportunities for planners, garden cities and Priority species focus - Shepherd’s needle, one of the rare arable plants. The update is available on our Planners’ page > Gen’s Retiring!

At the end of February, I’ll be retiring from SBIS after a staggering 12 years (well, nearly) as Biodiversity Officer.

I have very mixed emotions. Great sadness at leaving a job which I have enjoyed immensely, but excitement too at the opportunities opening up. I’ve worked with so many wonderful people over the years who’ve inspired me with their commitment to wildlife conservation, innovative ideas and ‘can do’ attitudes.

Starting from BAP habitat working groups and Priority Species plans; through the Planning Group and the County Wildlife Site project; and fast forwarding to today’s Ecological Network Project and Biodiversity Net Gain. I’ve learnt so much and hope I’ve contributed too. It means a great deal to me to have been working for wildlife in the county where I grew up - west Suffolk in the early years and then east Suffolk.

Following on from recently completing a London School of Journalism Diploma in feature writing, I’m aiming to write articles about wildlife, get involved in education projects and do a lot more hands-on species identification and ecological work. I’ll still be working on the Orchards East Project and volunteering with Suffolk Naturalists’ Society, so please keep in touch and let me know about any opportunities!

Gen at the East Anglian Planning and Biodiversity seminar Nov 2019.

Photo: Hamish Jackson

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The Pliocene Forest 10 years on Caroline Markham, GeoSuffolk The marine mollusc fauna of the 4 million year old Coralline Crag is much studied and celebrated. This Crag also contains fossil pollen, which was analysed by Professor Richard West in the 1960s. This was wind-blown pollen, deposited in the Coralline Crag sea from nearby land areas, so it comprises mostly tree and grass pollen. Genera such as Cupressus and Picea, which were evicted from our islands during the Pleistocene Ice Age, did not make it back across the Channel once the climate had ameliorated. GeoSuffolk has planted representative specimens of the genera found in the Coralline Crag record and still extant in other parts of the globe to create our Pliocene Forest.

2020 sees the 10th Anniversary of the opening of the Pliocene Forest coinciding with a resurgence in interest in the Pliocene flora and fauna, evidencing the palaeoclimate of that time. With acceleration of global warming, data from the warmer Pliocene period is being used in computer modelling for climate prediction, thus the Pliocene Forest becomes relevant to the problems we face now and in the near future.

Pliocene Forest October 2019

The Pliocene Forest is at Rockhall Wood SSSI which is on private land, and with permission from the landowner, GeoSuffolk opens it to the public as part of the Sutton village open gardens day. There are over 200 protected trees and shrubs in a single enclosure of about 2,000 square metres – so well worth a visit. This year the open gardens day is on Sunday June 7th from 12 noon till 5pm.

To celebrate the 10th Anniversary, GeoSuffolk’s Barry Hall has produced a 60-page 4th edition of his booklet Pliocene Forest Plant Profiles. They will be available on the open day or to order a copy send a cheque for £6 made payable to 'GeoSuffolk' to GeoSuffolk c/o Ipswich Museum, High Street, Ipswich, IP1 3QH.

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Suffolk Golf Course Wins Recognition for its Ecology Work Neil Sherman, Conservation Greenkeeper, Ipswich Golf Club Ltd Ipswich Golf Club (Purdis Heath) has just won a national award for its ecological and environmental work undertaken on the course. Neil Sherman, the Conservation green-keeper at the site, won the 'Conservation Greenkeeper of the Year 2020' title at the Golf Environment Awards presentation ceremony in Harrogate recently.

The Golf Environment Awards are a platform where the golf industry nationally can demonstrate environmental excellence in all its forms. This has been demonstrated by past finalists and can range from relatively simple but effective projects, to grand scale Neil Sherman receiving the ‘Conservation Greenkeeper habitat restoration schemes. Golf has in the past received negative of the Year 2020’ award. Photo: Joe Simpson press in relation to the environment but these awards show that many sites are actually really good for wildlife and courses are actively seeking to encourage more as part of their management of the land. Run by the Sports Turf Research Institute Group (STRI), they are now in their 25th year and it was in their first year back in 1995 that Ipswich Golf Club won the first Environment award when Neil Sherman was also involved.

At Ipswich the ecology work under Neil's guidance has been ongoing for a number of years with major schemes to restore the Heathland character to the landscape as well as managing the wetlands for the benefit of the golf course as well as the environment. There are large areas of Heather, Gorse, acid grassland, reed beds and fen that need constant intervention to prevent the loss of these important open habitats to scrub invasion. Proof of the success of this work from a conservation point of view has been the return of the Woodlark Lullula arborea to the site, a rare UK species of bird that requires open acid grassland habitat and the colonization of the wetlands by the Whitemantled wainscot moth Archanara neurica, a scarce species found mainly in the UK in the reed beds of Suffolk. The golf course itself is now looking spectacular with wonderful views across the site and looks at it absolute best in August when the Heather is in full bloom.

At the Golf Environment Awards ceremony Neil stated after collecting the title that the award was not just for himself, but was for everyone at the club as all have been involved in the success of the ecology work on the site.

Two other local golf clubs were also present at the event - Ufford Park and Diss. They were unsuccessful, not winning in their categories they were nominated for, but this still shows that the golf industry in this region is really getting involved in doing what it can for the environment.

Heather at Ipswich Golf Club. Photo: Neil Sherman

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Improving the Riparian Habitat in the River Gipping Catchment Naomi Boyle, Environment Agency The Environment Agency and Suffolk Wildlife Trust have been working together on a Defra funded project to improve the riparian habitat in the River Gipping Catchment to help address Water Framework Directive failures.

To date this work has focussed on riparian tree planting along the main River Gipping and Somersham watercourses and, by the end of March 2020, we hope to have planted trees along almost 6 km of river, thanks to landowner agreement. All trees planted are native and suited to the particular ground conditions at the site and have been fenced to protect them from livestock where necessary.

Riparian trees are a key component of river ecosystems being important for the following reasons: • by providing shade, trees supress the growth of aquatic vegetation

and moderate extremes in river temperature which is important for climate change mitigation

Planting trees at Great Blakenham.

Photo: Environment Agency

• they provide physical habitat diversity that in turn supports a

diverse range of animal and plant species • they provide underwater root systems of value to fish and

invertebrates • tree root systems stabilise river banks and protect them

from erosion, especially on the outside of bends and can also help to reduce sedimentation • in the longer term, tree cover can provide a natural source

of woody debris, a key component of river systems that is lacking in many lowland watercourses • tree planting can enhance local landscape quality • trees provide nesting sites for birds, and a food source for

mammals, birds and invertebrates.

We are hoping to be able to continue the project in 2020/21 and will be looking for opportunities to carry out further enhancements in the River Gipping catchment area which includes all tributaries of the River Gipping).

This could involve tree planting or in-channel or bankside habitat improvements. Please do contact Naomi Boyle (Environment Agency) 02030258458 or Penny Hemphill (Suffolk Wildlife Trust) 01473 737466 if you would like to find out more about this project.

Planting trees at Baylham. Photo: Environment Agency 7

Suffolk Planning and Biodiversity Group Achievements Gen Broad, SBIS The Planning and Biodiversity Group was set up through Suffolk Biodiversity Partnership more than 15 years ago in response to a demand for support on biodiversity issues for Local Authority Planning staff and other bodies with planning responsibilities. SBIS has continued to support the group and we have achieved some great successes over those years. One of the major benefits is the presence of ‘Collaborative members’ from Essex and Norfolk, providing rare cross-border discussion opportunities. All of the documents mentioned below, including presentations from the annual seminar and Planners’ Update can be found on our Planners’ page > •

Annual East Anglian Planning and Biodiversity Seminar In November 2019 we celebrated the 15th anniversary of this popular event, organised by SBIS and Norfolk county Council. The agenda always includes topical issues for both spatial planning and development management and provides a fantastic Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunity. Planners from Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex always make the most of this exceptional cross-border networking opportunity with colleagues and with ecological consultants, who have been able to join the seminar (for a small fee) since 2014.

The seminar has become a well established feature of the planners’ calendar providing numerous benefits including exchange of information with planners in other organisations and information on a wide range of biodiversity issues in planning.

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Planners’ Update The update is published twice a year, spring and autumn, and is an outcome from a planners’ workshop in 2013. The Autumn 2019 issue contents included: Wildlife Assessment Checks, SuDS Guidance, RAMS strategies, Biodiversity validation checklist, Green Infrastructure...and more. The spring 2020 issue has just been published and is now available on our website.

The update highlights new reports, legislation and useful sources of information, helping planners to stay up to date on biodiversity issues in a rapidly changing field.

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Annual East Anglian Planning and Biodiversity seminar flyer 2019

Suffolk Biodiversity Validation Checklist The Validation Checklist provides planning application guidance on Protected and Priority Species for which Survey and Assessment will be required; Designated Sites, Priority Habitats and other biodiversity features and geodiversity features which require Survey and Impact Assessment. It also contains information on identifying the appropriate survey season by species type. The Checklist was revised and updated in September 2019.

The guidance has proved invaluable for the individual Local Authorities, developers and private individuals in Suffolk.

Cover of Planners’ Update Autumn 2019

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Suffolk Design Guide

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In 2019, the Group contributed information (in the form of a flowchart) on how to incorporate Biodiversity Net Gain into new developments to those working on the new Suffolk Design Guide.

The flowchart provided practical biodiversity guidance to those developing the Suffolk Design Guide in non-technical terms.

Flowchart on incorporating Biodiversity Net Gain for Suffolk Design Guide

Small Wind Turbine Guidance Note

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This Recommended Approach flowchart was produced in response to numerous wind turbine planning applications and some confusion about best practice. There was wide consultation before online publication in March 2013. We were flattered to receive an enquiry from the Bombay Natural History Society who asked permission to use the flowchart!

The guidance greatly simplifies the process of assessing small wind turbine planning applications.

A section of the Small Wind Turbine Guidance Note •

Consultants seminar: Delivering the British Standard for Biodiversity and Development The 2014 seminar was delivered to over 40 consultants following the publication of the British Standard for Biodiversity and Development BS42020 - A Code of Practice for planning and development > The seminar helped consultants to understand better the ecological information required for determination of planning applications and to improve the standard of ecological data submitted.

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Validation training workshops 2009 and 2013 These workshops have helped planners by providing handson practice in assessing applications which affect biodiversity, such as potential bat roosts, ponds containing Great Crested Newts and County Wildlife Sites.

The workshops provided a training environment in which planners could receive one-to-one support with the specific biodiversity issues which frequently arise in Suffolk.

Simone Bullion, SWT, leading one of the discussions at a training workshop.

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Organisations represented in the Suffolk Planning and Biodiversity Group Babergh & Mid Suffolk District Councils

Natural England

SBIS

Norfolk County Council

Suffolk AONBs

Braintree District Council

North Norfolk District Council

Suffolk County Council

East Suffolk Council

Place Services Essex County Council

Suffolk Wildlife Trust

Ipswich Borough Council

RSPB

West Suffolk Council

Felixstowe Community Nature Reserve: Feeding the Soil Project Adrian Cooper, FCNR Felixstowe's Community Nature Reserve and their Citizen Science Group has started 2020 with a major new analysis on the ways in which local people feed the soil in their gardens and allotments. Out of the 100 people sampled, only 15 people fed their soil. However, among those 15 people, there was a healthy awareness of the need to create home-made compost.

The main conclusion of our study shows that there is an important opportunity here to educate, encourage and empower local people in the Felixstowe area to feed their soil. Over the course of 2020, Felixstowe's Community Nature Reserve and their Citizen Science Group will be campaigning to improve local awareness regarding the need to feed soil.

The diagram below summarises our results and conclusions.

To learn more about the work of Felixstowe’s Community Nature Reserve, please visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/felixstowecommunitynaturereserve 10

Local Wildlife Corridors Scheme Transition Woodbridge Transition Woodbridge were inspired by Felixstowe’s Community Nature Reserve to start this project. The aim is to provide routes (“corridors”) by which animals both large and small can move around the towns without hinderance or danger.

Built up areas can be difficult to navigate, but by joining together to create biodiversity-friendly spaces close together (such as in groups of gardens), we allow animals to move more freely. This is hugely important to enable many mammals, insects, bats and birds to be able to move from one habitat to another.

Woodbridge Town Council are looking to “green vein” their land by increasing biodiversity in their parks and other spaces. But how to link these spaces? That’s where our project comes in. We want to create a patchwork of spaces in people’s gardens that are dedicated to, and focus on, encouraging, nurturing and protecting biodiversity, that together form the “Community Nature Reserve” between the Council’s land.

We are encouraging people to allocate 3 sq. yards (2.5 sq. m) of their garden as a wildlife area. Please visit our website (Transition Woodbridge website >) to complete a survey and sign up to the project. You will receive a monthly newsletter for ideas on features that encourage wildlife.

Great Spring Clean 2020 starting on 20th March.

Transition Woodbridge is organising litter picking sessions at several places in Woodbridge and in Melton. There will also be Pick and Play sessions in Kingston Field and Melton Playing Field for children and parents. Please email Carol on springcleanwoodbridge@gmail.com for details of times and places.

Do please get in touch if you would like more information about the Local Wildlife Corridors Scheme, the Great Spring Clean or any of the other Transition Woodbridge projects.

SNS Conference On the Verge of Success - What does a successful verge look like?

Suffolk Naturalists’ Society Date: 29th February 2020, 09:30 –16:40 Venue: Wherstead Park, Ipswich > The conference will bring together those working to enhance and protect roadside verges from a variety of organisations including County Councils, charities, businesses and Highways England. The aim is to share best practice principles and encourage debate on how verge management can be improved nationally for the benefit of all wildlife. We are delighted to welcome speakers from Suffolk and Norfolk County Councils, Lincolnshire and Norfolk Wildlife Trusts, Peakhill Associates, Butterfly Conservation, Highways England, the People’s Trust for Endangered Species, Plantlife and Buglife.

Topics: Plantlife’s road verge campaign; Hazel dormice on road verges: B-lines and road verges; Suffolk parish Roadside Nature Reserve Pilots; Roadside verges in Norfolk; Defending and extending the UK’s road verge network for biodiversity; the design and maintenance of grass verges that encourage wildlife; From verge grass to fuel – a possibility to make conservation pay?; Enhancing biodiversity along the strategic road network in East Anglia.

There will be a Q&A session with the speaker panel at the end of day. Tickets available on the SNS website > 11

The Yellow Fish Strikes Again Jane Herbert, Groundwork East Keen-eyed residents of some East Suffolk towns will have noticed little yellow fish appearing next to their road drains during 2019. Read on to find out why.

In 2019-2020 Groundwork and the Environment Agency have been, and will continue to, work with communities, businesses and industry to raise awareness of how easily the River Gipping can be polluted via road drains, specifically in Stowmarket and Needham Market. So far, in these areas, we have been to local schools, had stalls at local events and engaged with 10 businesses, but we are keen to do much more and will be out and about in these two towns until the end of February.

We are eager to contact any organisations in and around Stowmarket or Needham Market who would like to be involved. If you are a community group, business or school in the area and want to find out more, please get in touch. We will also be spray painting more Yellow Fish to highlight which drains go directly to the River Gipping. We would be keen for any groups to come along and help us with this activity. Also if you have any events you would like us to attend and talk about the project, please let us know.

The work along the River Gipping follows on from a successful Yellow Fish project in Saxmundham, Halesworth and Framlingham in 2018; and Groundwork and East Suffolk Council brought Yellow Fish to Felixstowe, Woodbridge and Lowestoft in 2019.

Residents talked with our project officers, who were out and about in the town on residential streets, in schools and on the beach, raising awareness of how pollution, detergents and litter from roads can swiftly pollute watercourses via road gullies.

Stencilling the Yellow Fish symbol on a drain

Common pollutants are cigarette butts, heavy metals and dirt and phosphates from car washings, and general litter items.

The message is simple: ‘Only Rain Down The Drain!’ Road gullies often link directly to rivers and the estuaries so whatever goes down the drain ends up in the river or on the beach.

You may have spotted this symbol around East Suffolk. This is the crucial message of the Yellow Fish project.

Green Champions talking to residents about the Yellow Fish campaign during door step engagement.

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Suffolk Roadside Nature Reserves Update Holly Emmens, Suffolk County Council During the last few months, Suffolk Highways staff have been busy installing new RNR white marker posts across the county.

Priority has been given to RNRs with missing, temporary or broken-down posts, such as Worlingworth 193; new RNRs such as Denham 207 which supports a good population of Bee Orchids; and those which have had a recent boundary change, such as Dalham 172, which has been extended since its Crested Cow-Wheat was found to have spread outside of the original boundary!

In Worlingworth, the RNR had temporary posts for quite a long time, so it was great to get these replaced by new permanent ones. The verge was also strimmed at the same time, and the warden and I got stuck in with raking.

Strimming and raking at Worlingworth 193

We hope to have the priority sites marker posted by the end of March and will then start on replacing several old posts that have seen better days.

We have also been working on promoting and branding for the RNR project and we have a logo and a new email address (RNRs@suffolk.gov.uk).

The website has been updated with a new layout and photos, as well as an RNR Warden’s job description. We hope these changes will make the project more accessible to all and welcome any feedback you may have.

If you’d like to get involved with the RNR project or to find out more about the role of a volunteer warden, we’d love to hear from you!

There are many RNRs out there without a warden and any help that you could offer even if it is just keeping an eye on things would be really appreciated. To find out about RNRs near you, see our interactive map here > Email RNRs@suffolk.gov.uk for info.

Work taking place to benefit Bee orchids at Denham 207

Suffolk’s RNR new logo

AONB Network response to wildlife decline and climate crisis Simon Amstutz, Suffolk AONBs The Dedham Vale and Suffolk Coast & Heaths Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) were delighted to host the national Landscapes for Life Conference at the university of Essex in 2019. At the conference the delegates, drawn from nationally designated landscapes across England and Wales, developed what has become known as the Colchester Declaration for Nature. The declaration has subsequently been signed off by the AONB chairs at their own conference in November 2019.

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The declaration, set against a backdrop of unprecedented concern for the future of the natural world, and intergovernmental reports that the current global response to the effects of human impact on nature is insufficient and that the National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty believes that now is the time to significantly increase the scale and pace of nature conservation activity in AONBs. Using our unique network and partnership model, we are making a collective Declaration on Nature in AONBs, setting out our strategy for change.

The declaration notes: Natural Beauty has intrinsic value and means so much to people AONBs should be places of rich, diverse and abundant wildlife Nature recovery is central to the conservation and enhancement of natural beauty Climate change is the biggest threat to humanity and one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. Designated landscapes offer some of the most powerful solutions to the challenges of climate change

The network of AONBs and National Parks, their teams, partnerships, authorities and stakeholders offer a unique solution to tackling environmental challenges.

Furthermore the AONB network pledges:

By July 2020

1. To enable an approach that creates opportunities within AONBs for people to make an emotional connection with nature.

2. To prepare a Nature Recovery Plan for each AONB By 2024

1. To embed an ecosystems services approach into all AONB Management Plans 2. To ensure all AONB management plans include meaningful measures around climate change mitigation and adaptation, including clear, measurable targets to support Net Zero By 2030

1. That at least 200,000 ha of SSSIs in AONBs will be in favourable condition 2. That at least 100,000 ha of wildlife-rich habitat outside of protected sites will have been created/ restored in AONBs to further support the natural movement of plants and animals 3. That at least 36,000 ha of new woodland will have been planted or allowed to regenerate in AONBs following the principle of the right tree in the right place 4. That, by each AONB immediately adopting a species on the threatened list and by preparing and delivering a Species Action Plan, at least thirty species relevant to AONBs will be taken off the list by 2030.

The AONB Network calls on the Westminster and Welsh Governments to provide the power and resource to make these targets achievable. Coming at a time when the Government commissioned Glover Review into National Parks and AONBs has recently been published, the AONB network waits with keen interest to see how many of the proposals contained within the report be implemented, giving the necessary tools and resources for the AONB network to deliver on the twin issues of the climate crisis and wildlife decline.

Download the Colchester Declaration here > Find out more on the Dedham Vale > and Suffolk Coast & Heaths AONB > websites 14

Sharing information about Suffolk’s wildlife Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service is the One-Stop-Shop for biodiversity information in Suffolk. Operating as an independent and objective centre for biodiversity data we collate, manage and mobilise species and site information for the benefit of Suffolk’s wildlife as a whole.

News SBIS website > Events SBIS News / Events >

Funding Opportunities Check out the SBIS web page to see if any of these funds can benefit your conservation or community wildlife project. SBIS News / Funding > Project Fund We have a small Project Fund available to individuals and communities for research, habitat enhancement or to benefit Suffolk species. Please contact Martin Sanford for further information.

Follow us on Twitter @Suffolkbis > Like us on Facebook > Share photos on Flickr >

Newsletter Publication dates : Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

Next deadline to be advised If you’d like to share the work that you or your organisation / group is doing to protect biodiversity in Suffolk, please send your article (with photos) for inclusion in the next newsletter to Martin Sanford. Contact details below.

We welcome species records from the public. You can make a valuable contribution to wildlife conservation - why not try out SuffolkBro online? It’s easy and fun!

All records are verified via iRecord and our County Recorders and then added to our database for Suffolk (currently 4.27 million). Species records help us to understand the distribution and patterns of Suffolk's wildlife as well as informing the conservation activities of key partners and the planning process.

Thank you to our readers for supporting this newsletter, all feedback is welcome!

Contact Us Martin Sanford (SBIS Manager) email: martin.sanford@suffolk.gov.uk, tel: 01473 433547

Jane Mason (GIS Officer) email: jane.mason@suffolk.gov.uk, tel: 01473 433571

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